1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector having a connector body within which a plurality of terminal fittings are insert molded, a method of manufacturing the connector, and a die structure for use in this manufacturing method, and is used on vehicles, for example, an automobile, a motorcycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a connector is used to ensure the electric connection and electric insulation.
As an example, there can be taken up a connector that is made of synthetic resin (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 8-250193). This connector comprises a connector body having formed integrally on both sides thereof with hood parts to which mating connectors are fitted, and terminal metal fittings having terminal bodies insert molded within the connector body and having on both end sides of the terminal bodies terminal portions that are provided within the hood parts in such a way as to be projected thereinto.
In this connector, in a case where insert molding the terminal bodies into the connector body, the terminal bodies of the plural terminal metal fittings are integrally molded beforehand in a first molded part. This first molded part is integrally formed into a connector of a final configuration when formed into it. As a result of this, insulation is ensured between a plurality of the terminal metal fittings and the terminal metal fittings are positioned with the interspace therebetween being set to a prescribed pitch.
However, in the above-described manufacturing method, in a case where integrally molding a plurality of the terminal metal fittings into the first molded part with these terminal metal fittings set as one stage being arranged in two stages, although the first stage terminal metal fittings can be supported within a die for molding the first molded part, the second stage terminal metal fittings are located in a support-less space and therefore cannot be supported within the die. As a result, in the above-described manufacturing method, a plurality of the terminal metal fittings can be molded integrally with the first molded part only in a one-stage state of their being arranged laterally. For this reason, when the number of the terminal metal fittings increases (the connector has a multipole structure), the width dimension of the connector becomes large, with the result that the connector becomes large in size.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector which makes it possible to position a plurality of terminal bodies at prescribed pitches and., while ensuring the insulation therebetween, to integrally mold them in two stages within the connector body, a method of manufacturing the connector, and a die structure for executing this method.
A first aspect of the present invention provides a connector body which is made of an insulating material, has a side, and has on the side thereof a fitting portion formed integrally therewith which is one for fitting a mating connector thereto. There are provided a plurality of first terminal fittings which have first terminal bodies and first terminal portions. The first terminal bodies are insert molded within the connector body and are arranged in a first stage within the connector body. The first terminal portions project to the fitting portion of the connector body. There are provided a plurality of second terminal fittings which have second terminal bodies and second terminal portions. The second terminal bodies are insert molded within the connector body and are arranged in a second stage within the connector body. The second terminal portions project to the fitting portion of the connector body. The first terminal bodies in the first stage and the second terminal bodies in the second stage are arranged in such a staggered orientation that there is located each of the first terminal bodies between adjacent ones of the second terminal bodies and there is located each of the second terminal bodies between adjacent ones of the first terminal bodies.
In this connector, a plurality of the first terminal bodies in the first stage and a plurality of the second terminal bodies in the second stage are arranged in such staggered orientation that there are located the first terminal bodies in the first stage between adjacent ones of the second terminal bodies in the second stage. As a result of this, when arranging these two stages of the first and second terminal bodies between the dies, the first and second terminal bodies can be pressed by the pressing pins that have been made to project from the respective dies and passed between the terminal bodies. As a result, the first and second terminal bodies can be arranged in two stages between the dies. Therefore, the connector body is molded in this state, and the first and second terminal fittings can be arranged in two stages within the connector body with a prescribed number thereof being set as one stage.
In above invention, xe2x80x9cinsert moldxe2x80x9d means that an insert die is used in molding.
A second aspect of the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a connector which comprises: connecting a plurality of first terminal portions on end sides of first terminal bodies with each other; connecting a plurality of terminal portions on end sides of second terminal bodies with each other; arranging between a first die and a second die a plurality of first terminal bodies of first terminal fittings and a plurality of second terminal portions of second terminal fittings in a staggered orientation that there is located each of the first terminal bodies in a first stage between adjacent ones of the second terminal bodies in a second stage and there is located each of the second terminal bodies in the second stage between adjacent ones of the first terminal bodies in the first stage; bringing a plurality of first terminal bodies of first terminal fittings in a first stage in contact with a first die by second pressing pins projecting from a second die and passing between second terminal bodies of second terminal fittings in a second stage; bringing a plurality of second terminal bodies of second terminal fittings in a second stage in contact with a second die by first pressing pins projecting from a first die and passing between first terminal bodies of first terminal fittings in a first stage; filling an insulating material into between a first die and a second die to mold a primary molded part; and molding integrally a primary molded part when forming it into a connector of a final configuration.
In this method of manufacturing the connector, when molding the primary molded part, a plurality of the first terminal fittings in the first stage and the second terminal fittings in the second stage are arranged between the dies in a state where a plurality of the first and second terminal portions on end sides of the first and second terminal bodies in each stage respectively are connected together in such a staggered orientation that there are located the first terminal bodies in the first stage between adjacent ones of the second terminal bodies in the second stage. The second terminal bodies in the second stage are abutted onto the second die side by the first pressing pins that have been made to project from first die and passed between the first terminal bodies in the first stage. The first terminal bodies in the first stage are abutted onto the first die side by the second pressing pins that have been made to project from the second die and passed between the second terminal bodies in the second stage. As a result, the first and second terminal bodies are integrally molded in two stages in the primary molded part. This primary molded part is integrally molded when forming it into a connector of a final configuration, and thus the first and second terminal bodies can be arranged in two stages within the connector body.
Also, a plurality of the first and second terminal fittings are integrally molded with the primary molded part in a state where the first and second terminal portions on end sides of the first and second terminal bodies respectively are connected together, and thus the terminal fittings can be positioned at prescribed pitches to thereby ensure the insulation therebetween.
Preferably, after having molded the primary molded part the connected first and second terminal portions on end sides of the first and second terminal bodies in each stage are released, the primary molded part is molded integrally when forming it into a final configuration, and the first and second terminal portions are projected within a fitting portion of a connector body.
In this manufacturing method of manufacturing the connector, the primary molded part wherein the first and second terminal bodies are integrally molded in a two-stage state is integrally molded when formed into a connector of a final configuration, with the result that the first and second terminal bodies of the first and second terminal fittings are positioned in a two-stage state at a prescribed pitch within the connector body and are molded integrally therewith and, on the other hand, the first and second terminal portions thereof are projectively arranged within the fitting portions on both sides of the connector body.
A third aspect of the present invention provides a die structure for use in a manufacture of a connector which comprises a first die; a second die which is arranged opposite to first die; a plurality of first pressing pins which are projectively provided on the first die and ones for pressing between themselves and the second die second terminal bodies in a second stage; and a plurality of second pressing pins which are projectively provided on the second die and ones for pressing between themselves and the first die first terminal bodies in a first stage. Each of the plural first pressing pins pass between adjacent ones of the plural second pressing pins and each of the plural second pressing pins pass between adjacent ones of the plural first pressing pins. The first terminal bodies and said second terminal bodies are arranged between the first die and the second die in such a staggered orientation that there is located each of the first terminal bodies in the first stage between adjacent ones of the second terminal bodies in the second stage.
In this die structure, the first and second pressing pins are projected respectively from the first (stationary) die and second (movable) die and are passed between the terminal bodies arranged in a staggered orientation, whereby the first and second terminal bodies in each stage can be abutted on the die in the opponent stage. Therefore, a plurality of the terminal bodies are integrally formed in two stages within the connector body.
A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a connector comprising: a connector body; a plurality of first terminal bodies which are arranged in a row within the connector body; and a plurality of second terminal bodies which are arranged along the first terminal bodies within the connector body at an interval between themselves and the first terminal bodies. Each of the second terminal bodies is located between the first terminal bodies and each of the first terminal bodies is located between the second terminal bodies.
A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a die structure for use in a manufacture of a connector, comprising: a first die; a second die which is arranged opposite to the first die; a plurality of first pressing pins which project from the first die toward the second die and are ones for holding second terminal bodies with the second die; and a plurality of second pressing pins which project from the second die toward the first die and are ones for holding first terminal bodies with the first die. Each of the first pressing pins is located between the second pressing pins and each of the second pressing pins is located between the first pressing pins.